's done by force Crat. As if the valiant could be forc'd by any Pho. You shall not change your fortune you shall only Passe to another Empire and for that Right may be violated Crat. Empires are Desir'd for glory be all wickednesse then Farre absent for in that there can be none Pho. You are resolv'd to reason your selfe then Into a measur'd unthankefulnesse what can Hinder this good t' your Country but your selfe Fear'st thou the Thunder and the Gods the anger O' th' Grecian Pow'rs will be upon thee if Thou not restor'st them to their seats On then Thou undertak'st their cause thou fight'st their warre Crat. I cannot tell what powers you pretend Tell me of Justice and Fidelity These are the Grecian Gods Pho. Be then thy name Blasted to all Posterity and let Our wretched Nephewes when then Soules shall labour Under the Persian Yoake curse thee and say This slavery we owe unto Cratander Crat. Pray stay I will goe with you and consider How am I streightned Life is short unto me And th' good man's End ought still to be a businesse We must dy doing something least perhaps We loose our Deaths we must not yet doe ill That we misplace not Action If I strike On this hand I 'm a Parricide if on that The same brand waytes me too how doe I tremble Like to the doubtfull Needle 'twixt two Loadstones At once inclining unto both and neither Here Piety calls me there my Justice stops me It is resolv'd Faith shall consist with both And aged Fame after my Death shall tell Betwixt two sinnes Cratander did do well Exeunt Finis Act. 2. Act. 3. Sce. 1. Philotas Stratocles Archippus Leocrates Molops in drinking Chaplets after the Grecian manner Phil. SEt a watch at the doore to keepe out sleepe He 's mortall that offers to betray so much weaknes As to winke Here Archippus Arch. May not a man winke without mortality When he lets it goe downe Here Stratocles Phil. I doe state winking in that case divine Str. Come thou uneven lumpe thou heape of sinnes in proofe we will liquor thy Keyes open thy Cages and give thy meager Tenants a Play day Raskall Bring the Jarres nearer As I hope for fortune I thinke my soule will passe into a frogge Now for a hundred Throats to thee Molops Mol. You Grecians I thinke have sponges in your mawes 't is but setting your hands to your sides and squeezing your selves and presently you drinke as much as before Leoc. Off with thy Cup Landlord and talke not wee learn'd it from the Teat foole Mol. Have at thee Archippus Arch. I doe not like these healths at randome let 's have a sober methodicall order for a while Thil. What shall we drinke by dice then and let fortune name the heyre to the Cup Str. Or shall we drinke our Mistresses names and soake it Alphabetically Leoc. If we drinke names let not the Letters passe for single ones but as they would in number I doe pronounce Alpha no letter till it begin to multiply Mol. I never thought Drinking such a Mystery before a blockhead can't be drunke I see Phil. Right shallow braines can ne're attaine to 't that makes your fooles and your old governing Philosophers continue so sober still The veget Artist and the vigorous Poët whose braines are full and forging still will streight get a pleasant madnesse from that that will but warme those colder Rheumaticke Sages whose noses alwayes drop like Still-snoutes Str. The noblest drinking methinkes is the Postures Arch. Let 's have 'em Phil. Bring the Pots in play But where 's the wenches and the Musicke you promis'd us good Molops Mol. For wenches the Towne will not yeeld any at this time and I durst not venture my single wife amongst you all For Fidlers I have provided them they stand ready without Leoc. Call 'em in sweet Molops Strat. Well what shall those Raskalls play whiles we drinke the Postures Phil. The Battle by all meanes Ent. Mus. Str. Strike up the Battle then Thinke your selves all in service now and doe as I doe Take your Bowes Gent and make a stand They take their pots in their left hands They take their cups in their right hands fill They blow off the froth Right draw your shafts now nock 'em Very good now smooth your feathers Well done Present and take ayme Here 's to thee Leocrates Leoc. Have towards thee Philotas Phil. To thee Archippus Arch. Here Molops Mol. Have at you Fidlers Str. Now draw your Bowes and let loose all They drinke all together Mol. The other charge good fellow Souldiers Phil. Let 's have a Song betweene and then have at you Leoc. Fidlers employ your Throats and sing a while you shall drinke with 'em after Str. Sing that which I made in the Prison 't is seasonable enough Song 1. Now now the Sunne is fled Downe into Tethys bed Ceasing his solemne course awhile 2. What then 'T is not to sleepe but be Merry all night as we Gods can be mad sometimes as well as men Cho. Then laugh we and quaffe we untill our rich nose Grow red and contest with our Chaplets of Roses 1. If he be fled whence may We have a second day That shall not set till we command 2. Here see A Day that does arise Like his but with more eyes And warmes us with a better fire than hee Cho. Then laugh we c. 1. 2. Thus then we chase the night With these true floods of light This Lesbian wine which with it's sparkling streams Darting diviner Graces Cast's Glories round our Faces And dulls the Tapers with Majestique Beames Cho. Then laugh we c. Str. Well said now the other charge to the honour of Cratander Phil. I feele a rumbling in my head as if the Cyclops were forging Thunder in my Braines But no matter give it me our ancient Orpheus sayes it Perpetuall drunkennesse is the reward of Vertue Act. 3. Sce. 2. To them Cratander Crat. Which the most vitious have must I still meet Some thing must greeve me more than your misfortunes The Chayne and Fetter were your Innocence Phil. We don't fire Temples Sir we kill no Father Nor Mother 't is not Incest to be merry Crat. But to be drunke is all Doe but consider If that at least you can how Greece it selfe Now suffers in you thus say they the Grecians Do spend their Nights Your vices are esteem'd The Rites and Customes of your Country whiles The beastly Revelling of a Slave or two Is made the Nations Infamy Your wreathes Blush at your Ignominy what prayse is 't When 't shall be said Philotas stood up still After the hundreth Flagon when 't is knowne He did not so in warre you 're now just fit To reach the Spartan boyes sobriety Are all good Principles wash'd out how e're Be without vices if not vertuous That I should have authority to command Vices but not forbid 'em I would put you Once more into
as often as they come to eate upon Life and Death and celebrate the Funerals of distressed Gentlemen Mol. You dying men may be impudent by your places but I 'd wish you to compose your countenances and your manners both for the King is comming to visit you Phil. What mak'st thou here then though I easily beleeve thou hast an ambition to be seene in good company yet prethee be gon and don't discredit us The King loves no Garbidge-tubbes Mol. The King shall be inform'd of the fowle words you give his Officers Stra. Why what can he doe he won't let us goe and conquer us againe will he Leoc. But good honest Landlord what 's the Kings intent to honour us with his Royall visit Archip. To assigne us perhaps some three or foure hundred stripes aday a peece to take downe my Landlord's body and make him in case to suffer what he hath beene long adjudg'd to Mol. No Saucines 't is to make one of you King Arch. Then Saucines know your Masters Mol. Be not mistaken 't is not any way to honour you but to make himselfe sport For you must know that t is the custome of the Persian Kings after a Conquest to take one of the Captives and adorne him with all the Robes of Majesty giving him all Priviledges for three full dayes that hee may doe what hee will and then be certainly led to death Phil. Will he allow so long I 'd give my life at any time for one dayes Royalty 't is space enough to new mould a Kingdome His Majesty useth us wondrous reasonably I 'd as liffe deale with him as any man I know But who 's to have our cloaths Sirrah when we have done Mol. 'T is a small fee that the State hath entayl'd upon my Place an 't please you Phil. By my troth guess'd so I was wondring how their Courtiers could goe so brave with so little meanes Stra. Well what must be must be I was affraid I should have dy'd a silly foolish old Animal call'd Virgin But now have at one of the Ladyes e're I goe I have a strong desire to leave some Posterity behind me I would not have the house of the Stratocles decay for want of Issue Leoc. If I have the fortune of 't I 'le Revell it all night Kings they say ought not to sleep for the good of the people Arch. Sirrah Gaolor see you send Mistris Turne-key your wife to take us up whores enough and be sure she let none of the young Students of the Law fore-stall the Market Mol. Peace the King approaches stand in your rankes orderly and shew your breeding and be sure you blow nothing on the Lords Act. 1. Sce. 2. To them Arsamnes Praxaspes Hydarnes Masistes Orontes Priests after a while Cratander Arsam. ARe these the fairest and the handsomest 'mong all the Captives Mol. There is one more which I set apart a good personable fellow but he 's wondrous heavy and bookish and therefore I thought him unfit for any honour Arsam. Goe call him forth there 's none of all these has A Forehead for a Crowne their blood runnes thicke As if 't would blot a sword Enter Mol. with Cratander See there comes one Arm'd with a serious and Majestique looke As if hee 'd read Philosophy to a King We 've conquer'd something now What readst thou there Mol. I beleeve hee 's conning a Hymne against the good Time Crat. 'T is a discourse o' th' Nature of the Soule That shewes the vitious Slaves but the well inclin'd Free and their owne though conquer'd Arsam. Thou dost speake As if thou wert victorious not Arsamnes Crat. I not deny your Conquest for you may Have vertues to entitle 't yours but otherwise If one of strange and ill contriv'd desires One of a narrow or intemperate minde Prove Master of the field I cannot say That he hath conquer'd but that he hath had A good hand of it he hath got the day But not subdued the men Victory being Not fortunes gift but the deservings Purchase Arsam. Whom dost thou call deserving Crat. Him who dares Dy next his heart in cold blood him who fights Not out of thirst or the unbridled lust Of a flesh'd sword but out of Conscience To kill the Enemy not the man Who when The Lawrell's planted on his brow ev'n then Under that safe-protecting Wreath will not Contemne the Thunderer but will Acknowledge all his strength deriv'd and in A pious way of gratitude returne Some of the spoyle to Heav'n in Sacrifice As Tenants doe the first fruits of their Trees In an acknowledgment that the rest is due Arsam. True Tell me wert thou then to pay thy vowes What wouldst thou sacrifice the best or worst Crat. The best unto the Best If I had destin'd An Oxe unto the Altar he should be Faire and well fed for th' Deity doth not love The maymed or mishapen 'cause it is A thing so different from himselfe deformity Being one of Natures trespasses he should Be crown'd then and conducted solemnly That my Religion might be specious 'T were stealth else not Devotion Arsam. Bravely sayd But t 's pitty thou hast reasoned all this while Against thy selfe for our Religion doth Require the Immolation of one Captive And thou hast prov'd that he is best bellow'd That best deserveth to be spar'd Crat. I could Tell you the Gods have neither appetite Nor entralls that they doe not hunger after Your Cookery of sacrifice and that A graine of Incense or a peece of Gumme If offer'd with Devotion may redeeme A destin'd Hecatombe But this would be To deprecate my fate which by your Sun Your Sun that doth require me I expect With the same minde as I would doe my Nuptialls Arsam. And so 't shall come thy shape and vertues doe Enrich and furnish thee for Heav'n I would Or thou hadst fled or I not conquered Adorne him with Robes But thou must sweare First to be faithfull to the State Crat. I sweare He kisseth the Scepter The Priest's song whiles he puts on the Robes Come from the Dungeon to the Throne 'To be a King and streight be none Reigne then a while that thou mayst be Fitter to fall by Majesty Cho: So Beasts for sacrifice we feed First they are crown'd and then they bleed Wash with thy Bloud what wars have done Offensive to our God the Sun That as thou fallest we may see Him pleas'd and set as red as thee Enjoy the Gloryes then of state Whiles pleasures ripen thee for fate Cho: So Beasts c. Arsam. Now then Cratander I doe here indulge thee All the Prerogatives of Majesty For three full dayes which being expir'd that then Thou may'st fall honourably I intend To strike the blow my selfe Ex. Arsam. Crat. I neither take New courage from the Power nor suffer new Feares from the Death that waytes it both are things That have two eares by which they may be taken So that they are indifferent in themselves And
only good or bad as they are order'd Off with their shakells Sirrah you my Lordes Take order they be quickly well attir'd That they may come to Court and doe us service 'T is next of all our Royall pleasure that Battle be re-inforc'd by the next Sun To make our Conquest perfect all 's not safe Till the Snake leave to threaten with his tayle Our Reigne is short and businesse much be speedy Our Counsels and our deeds must have one birth Ex. Crat. Mol. If you 'l make use of any Ornaments I 've a couple of Jack-chaynes at your service Come Gentlemen please you to follow I 'le give you ease of your Irons suddenly Phil. Sirrah be quicke that my foot may be at liberty to kicke thee Ex. Mol. and Slaves Prax. Whether tends the minde of this ambitious wretch H' hath thoughts so hasty and so large as if Hee 'd over-runne the whole world in a breath Hyd. I like the courage of the man methinkes H' hath given a tast how worthy he is of A longer Kingdome Masist. You 'l obey him then Hyd. I don 't obey Him but the King as they that pay their vowes Unto the Deity shrowded in the Image Masist. True 't is the King's will he should be obey'd But hee 's a Slave the man lookes personable And fit for Action but he is a Slave He may be noble vertuous generous all But he is still a Slave Oron. As if the sullying Must turne all purer mettle into drosse Or that a lewell might not sometimes be In the possession of a private man Mas. What you too for the rising Sun my Lord Though 't be but a Meteor cast from the true one If that the conquer'd Hart must lead the Lyon I 'le teach my wishes to runne thwart unto That large successe you looke for Prax. Be my feares No Omen to the Kingdome ô yee Gods But I suspect this Comicke folly will Sport our free Monarchy into a Nation Of cheated Slaves But peace the Queene Oron. We two Will goe and see his carriage Prax. Doe my Lords And 'cause you wish his State so well pray see The Slaves provided of their cloathes Ex. Oron. Hyd. Act. 1. Sce. 3. To them Atossa Mandane Ariene Atos. Y'Have seene This Three-dayes King my Lords I cannot sport At th' Miseries of men methinkes I feele A touch of pity as often as I view him How doe you thinke hee 'le beare his State Mas. As Schoole-boyes In time of Misrule looke big a while and then Returne dejected to the Rod Mand. I wonder No woman 's chosen Queene for company These Male wits are but grosse and sluggish fayth You 'd see a delicate Comedy if that A she wit might but Impe his Reigne Prax. O Madam Your Sexe is too imperious to Rule You are too busy and too stirring to Be put in Action your Curiosity Would doe as much harme in a Kingdome as A Monkey in a Glasse-shop move and remove Till you had broken all Arie. Thinges then it seemes Are very brittle that you dare not trust us Prax. Your Closet and your Senate would be one You 'd Gossip at the Councell-table where The grand contrivance of some finer Posset Would be a State affaire Mand. I never knew But this one difference yet 'twixt us and you Your follies are more serious your vanities Stronger and thicker woven and your Councels About the razing of a Fort or City Contriv'd as ours about a messe of spoon-meat So that you laugh and are laugh'd at againe Atos. I hope you doe but exercise your wits Are not at sharpes Mand. Wee 'le venture how he will Foyles or bare poynts we care not Atos. Cease the strife How 's this Cratander qualify'd my Lords What vertues has he Mas. No great store of vertues Hee 's a tough fellow one that seemes to stand Much on a resolute carelesnesse and hath A spice of that unnecessary thing Which the mysterious call Philosophy Here comes a couple can informe you better They have observ'd the thing Act. 1. Sce. 4. To them Hydarnes Orontes Atos. MY Lords what thinke you Of this new King what doth he do what is he Hyd. Hee 's one that knowes and dares preserve his own Honour and others too a man as free From wronging any as himselfe he beares A Kingdome in his looke a kingdome that Consists of Beauty seasoned with Discretion His Graces are virile and comely too Grave and severe delights so tempering The softnesse of his other pleasures that A settled full content doth thence arise And wholly take up the beholders thoughts Arie. Why then hee 'le turne the Scene we did expect Something that would have saved us the labour Of reading Play-bookes and Love-stories Oron. See How you 're mistaken Madam he doth carry All things with such a State and yet so free From an insulting Pride that you 'd conceive Judgement and power put into the Scales And neither overpoysing whiles he shewes Rather that he can rule then that he will Mas. Th' afflicted ne're want prayses O how false Doth th' Eye of pity see the only way To make the Foule seeme gratious is to be Within the ken of death he that e're while Would have beene thought a Monster being now Condemn'd to die is thought an Hero Mand. Truly I thinke you have not yet beene neare your death Mas. I 've beene but seldome with your Ladyship Atos. Away let 's goe and view againe he promiseth Something that is not sport If he doe well And keepe his vertues up untill his fall I 'le pay a good wish to him as hee 's going And a faire mention of him when he 's gone Ex. Atos. Mand. Arie Act. 1. Sce. 5. To them Arsamnes Arsam. HOw doth our new King beare his Royalty Prax. If he goe stil on thus his three daies folly Will fill your Annalls Mas. He is growne the talke And sight of all the Court h' hath eyes chayn'd to him And some say hearts nor are they meane ones such As he may steale without being miss'd but those The theft of whom turnes sacriledge Arsam. I hope Atossa is not in the Rowle he dares not Be favour'd by my Queene Hyd. Her pure Affections Are sacred as her Person and her thoughts Soaring above the reach of common Eyes Are like those better Spirits that have nothing Of Earth admixt but yet looke downe upon Those number of Inhabitants and where They see a worthy minde oppress'd vouchsafe At least to helpe with pitty Arsam. Doth she then Seeme to compassionate his fortune we Must watch his Actions narrowly Prax. He may Grow insolent else past remedy but yet Your Majesty hath a preventing eye He may when that his Channel 's full discharge His streames on all that 's round him rushing forth With a strong headlong Torrent as mischeevous As uncontroulable th' ungratefull waters Choaking ev'n that which gave 'm life but yet You can kill evils by first seeing them Oron. All this hath taken up
your Majesty refus'd two of 'em are of another Sexe but would willingly joyne with 'em and present you with a Dance in congratulation of your happinesse Arsam. Goe bring 'em in let Prisons this day know The joyes of Palaces We will receive Ex. Mol. All the delights the world can yeeld us Hearke The foure Slaves as they were sent to Prison and the two whores are presented by Molops They dance in their Cripple Postures Atos. I hope your Majesty will not deny To grace a Company of younger Ladyes With the like favourable eye Arsam. They doe Honour our joyes in condescending to Be Actors in their Celebration The Ladyes in a solemne march present themselves all in war-like habits and dance the whole Dance expressing these verses of Claudian Insonuit cum verbere signa magister Muta to sque edunt pariter tunc pectora motus In latus allisis clypeis aut rursus in altum Vibratis grave parma sonat mucronis acurum Murmur umbonum pulsu modulante resultans Ferreus alterno concentus plauditur ictu Arsam. I see that Sardis hath it 's Amazons An Army of these would subdue the world Act. 5. Sce. 6. To them I. Priest I. Priest THe fire is fully kindled and the people All in their festivall attire there wants Only the Sacrifice and your selfe to kill it Arsam. The voyce of Ravens in the dead of night Conveighs not harsher notes into mine eares I 've pardon'd him i. Priest You cannot unlesse you Will be more impious in preserving him Than you were valorous in conquering Arsam. Will not the Gods receive an Hecatombe Of Oxen in exchange may we not finde The Destiny 's in Beasts entralls we will choake The fire with weighty lumps of richer gummes And send perfum'd clouds up into their seates In one continued thankefulnesse if that They 'le spare this humane Sacrifice I. Priest To promise The fairest Captive and redeeme him with A Beast or Teare of some relenting Tree Is not to worship but delude Arsam. Cratander The Gods recall my courtesy I stand Doubly ingag'd to Heav'n and to thee But thou canst easier pardon for I know Thy Vertue 's such that thou hadst rather suffer Thy selfe than Heav'n should be violated Being then this sword must cut thy pretious thread If Statues may preserve thee and thou thinkst it A life to florish in faire memory I 'le people all my Kingdome with thy Images To which they shall pay vowes as to those Gods Who now require thy company Atos. Yee Powers Why are you growne thus cruell unto Vertue 'T will be a wish hereafter to be foule I cannot see him die and live my selfe Pray you defer his death a while don't post him Away perhaps the Gods may spare him yet Crat. I know that divers mindes are here contain'd Under one silence all expecting how I 'le beare this sudden accident T' accuse Or Gods or Men 's the part of him that would Live longer If I looke on the desires Of some here whensoever I shall fall I shall be thought t' have liv'd too little if On the Actions I have done I 've liv'd enough If on the injuries of Fortune too much If on mine honour and my fame I shall Live still he gaines by death that doth die prays'd Others have longer kept an Empire but None better left it To speake more were but A sluggard's Policy to defer his suffrings On to the Altar Arsam. Art thou willing too Curs'd be my Victory and thou my Sword Be never henceforth happy if there be Another Sacrifice to fall like this Witnesse yee Gods how I unwilling pay My vowes in kinde Most vertuous Cratander Worthy of Heav'n but yet to tarry longer And make Earth happy by thy presence looke These teares I pay thee as a sad farewell I feele the blow my selfe that I must give thee Crat. These teares doe neither befit you to pay Nor me to take be then Arsamnes on Arsam. I feele a numnesse seize me I am stone I shall not lift mine arme against thee Sure The Gods desire it not Exeunt Act. 5. Sce. 7. 7th Appearance the Temple again discover'd an Altar and one busie placing fire thereon Enter Molops bearing the Sagar then the 4 Slaves 2 by 2 next the 4 Lords then 4 Priests after them Cratander alone then the King and Queene next Mandane and Ariene last the Masquers they all solemnely goe round the Stage and having placed themselves Cratander standing by the Altar a Priest singes the first song 1. Priest Thou ô bright Sun who seest all Looke downe upon our Captives fall Never was purer Sacrifice 'T is not a Man but Vertue dyes Cho. While thus we pay our thankes propitious' be And grant us either Peace or Victory After the Song Molops delivers the Sagar to Arsamnes and Cratander kneeles downe at the Altar then another Priest sings the second Song 2. Priest But thou ô Sun mayst set and then In brightnesse rise next morne agen He when he shall once leave this light Will make and have eternall night Cho. Good deedes may passe for Sacrifice ô than Accept the Vertues and give backe the Man 8th Appearance the Sun eclipsed and a showre of raine dashing out the fire Whiles the last Chorus is singing the Sunne appeares eclipsed c. After the Song Arsamnes prepares to give the stroke but is interrupted by the Priest 2. Priest Hold hold Arsamnes Heav'n is not pleased with your Sacrifice The glorious Sun hath veyl'd his face in clouds Not willing to behold it and the skyes Have shed such numerous teares as have put out The fire though fully kindled Atos. Thou hast now The voyce and visage of the Gods good Priest The Heav'ns were never more serene The Gods Have justify'd my care Cratander Arsam. Happy newes Death sends thee backe unto us this comes not From any humane pow'r 't is not my hand That spares thee blest Cratander 't is some God Some God reserves thee unto greater workes For us and for thy Country Crat. Being then You so interpret it I 'le thus divide That life they lend me one halfe shall be yours The other Ephesus's that mine Actions Wearing both Gratitude and Piety Like to some well wrought Picture may at once Behold both you and that I shall ne're be said The Gods reserv'd Cratander to a crime To make him fall more foule Arsam. Thy faith hath beene So firme and try'd thy moderation So stayd that in a just reward I must My selfe conduct thee into Greece and there Continue thee a King that what was meant For sport and mirth may prove a serious honour And thy Three Dayes passe o're into a long And happy government to be rul'd by thee Will be as freedome to them 't will not be Accounted slavery to admit a Prince Chosen from out themselves thy Vertues there May shine as in their proper Spheare Let others When they make warre have this ignoble end To gaine 'em Slaves